Zinc alloy



obtained for alternate bending.

Patented May 27, 1941 ZINC ALLOY Richard Schulze, Berlin-Mariendorf, Germany,

assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York No Drawing. Application August 23, 1940, Serial No. 353,955. In Germany November 3, 1939 3 Claims.

Heretofore attempts have been made to use pure zinc wires for electric lines. Such wires however are unsatisfactory because of the coarse crystals which are formed during cold drawing. More recently zinc alloys have been used which may be hot rolled at 180 C. or which can be pressed into shapes at 225 C. These temperature requirements cause a considerable amount of wear on the tools, and necessitate pressing in several steps. They also limit the permissible reduction between roll passes. I have now found that the mechanical properties of zinc are greatly improved by additions or aluminum. manganese, copper, vanadium, magnesium, iron and silver, if one or several of said substances of each. Such alloys can be forged, rolled and pressed at 300 to 320 0. Their workability is not as good as that of aluminum but nearly as ood as that of brass. The material flows well when hot molded, bobbed or die cast. Small strips, which are hot rolled at 320 0. down to 7 mm., may be cold rolled down to 1 mm. Rods which are hot forged to a diameter of 7 mm. may be cold drawn to a diameter of 2 mm. without difilculties.

The mechanical properties of the alloys are favorable and they approach those of copper alloys, depending on the method by which they are worked. Rolled strip and drawn wire have a tensile strength of 30 kg. per sq. mm., an elongation of 10%, a Brinell hardness of 70 to 80 kg. per sq. mm. and an electrical conductivity of 16 to 18 m./Ohm mm.*. The drawing test characteristics are in some instances 10% higher than those for brass, and high test values are On the basis of aforesaid properties, the new materials may be-regarded as valuable substitutes for brass and copper.

'15 are added to the zinc, in quantities of up to 1% The alloying with silver is of particular advantage, as admixtures of as low as 0.1% already show favorable results. Alloys with admixtures of several metals are to be preferred. The following two alloys have been shown to i have particularly good properties:

(1) Percent Silver 0.2 Aluminum 0.4 Manganese 0.35 Copper 0.5 Zinc remainder (2) Percent Silver 0.1 Manganese traces Copper 0.5 Aluminum -0.9 to 1 Zinc remainder The admixtures of any metals should not exceed 1% of each.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A zinc alloy containing about 0.1 to 0.2% silver, about 0.4 to about 1% aluminum and about 0.5% copper with the remainder substantially all zinc.

2. A zinc alloy containing about 0.2% silver, about 0.4% aluminum, about 0.35% manganese, about 0.5% copper with the remainder substantially all zinc.

3. A zinc alloy containing about 0.1% silver,

at least a trace but not appreciably more than 0.35% manganese, about 0.5% copper, about 0.9% to about 1% aluminum with the remainder substantially all zinc.

RICHARD some.

a trace and up to about 0.35% manganese,- 

